This invention relates to a lamp device for vehicles (xe2x80x9clamp devicexe2x80x9d), in which a structure pertaining to design (xe2x80x9cdesign structurexe2x80x9d) can be positively provided in the effective luminous region of the lamp device without affecting the light distribution, and the degree of freedom in designing of the lamp device can be improved. Moreover, this invention relates to a combination of vehicle body and a lamp device.
A lamp device has been disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,554 B1. This lamp device is used as an illuminating lamp which illuminates road surfaces or roads, and a signal lamp which informs vehicles and people in the vicinity thereof of the existence of the own vehicle by light. This lamp device is used such that the reflected light is irradiated to the outside at least without being affected substantially in a shield.
Recently, formed articles in view of the design are often provided on the lamp device from needs on the novel design of vehicles.
However, if a design structure is provided in the effective luminous region of the lamp device, there is the possibility that the reflected light from the reflector is affected by the design structure. Therefore, the conventional lamp device can only be provided outside the effective luminous region, and hence the degree of freedom in designing is limited.
In this specification, xe2x80x9cvertical directionxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9chorizontal directionxe2x80x9d stand for the xe2x80x9cvertical directionxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9chorizontal directionxe2x80x9d when the lamp device of this invention is equipped in the vehicle.
In this specification, xe2x80x9ca surface of a lamp lensxe2x80x9d stands for xe2x80x9ca surface of a lamp lens facing outsidexe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9ca reverse face of the lamp lensxe2x80x9d stands for xe2x80x9ca surface of the lamp lens facing a light chamberxe2x80x9d.
It is an object of this invention to provide a lamp device and a combination of a lamp device and vehicle body, in which a design structure can be provided within the effective luminous region thereof without affecting the light distribution and thus increase a degree of freedom in designing.
According to the present invention, a design structure is provided within the effective luminous region of the lamp device, and a unit which allows the optical path of the reflected light from the reflector to avoid the design structure is provided in the reflector.
According to the present invention, since the optical path of the reflected light from the reflector can avoid the design structure, the light distribution is not affected by the design structure. Therefore, according to this invention, the design structure can be positively provided in the effective luminous region of the lamp device, without affecting the light distribution, and hence the sense of unity of the vehicle body and the lamp device increases, thereby the degree of freedom in designing can be increased.
Other objects and features of this invention will become understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.